The competition was organized in Greece for the ninth time by EY Greece, aiming to highlight business excellence and honor entrepreneurs who innovate, create long-term value, investing in extroversion, innovation, sustainable development and human capital.

The candidate entrepreneurs, who were distinguished for their high performance, leadership skills, growth potential, innovative way of thinking, spirit and social sensitivity, were selected by the independent nine-member Jury of the competition, chaired by Mr. Vasilios Katsos, President and Co-founder of VNK Capital and EY Greek "Entrepreneur of the Year" 2008.

Christian Hadjiminas, founded THEON in 1997, the only Greek company designing and producing electro-optical night vision and thermal imaging systems, with applications in defense and security that evolved into one of the most important companies in the global market.

Today, THEON has grown into a group of companies with a global footprint with offices in, among others, Athens, Nicosia, Arlington, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Singapore, as well as 3 production facilities in Athens, Wetzlar (Germany) and Plymouth (USA). Its exports represent more than 95% of its total turnover in 68 countries around the world, while by 2023, THEON had manufactured and distributed more than 150.000 systems worldwide.

In fiscal year 2022, THEON generated revenue of €142.9m, recording a recurring increase in revenue, which at the level of the last three years (2020-2022) amounts to more than 62% per year, while the operating profit margin (EBIT) for the same year reached 27.8%, the highest in the industry globally.

THEON recently listed its shares on the regulated market of Amsterdam (Euronext), achieving one of the first IPOs in Europe for 2024, while at the beginning of March 2024 it was one of the only 3 Greek companies to join the list of Financial Times/Statista with the 1.000 fastest growing companies in Europe.

The companies of THEON GROUP recently received for the 2nd time the Great Place to Work™ certification, standing out for their excellent working environment and corporate culture. 

"We are honored to receive such a prestigious award from EY, an award that came out of a reliable competition. The Internationally Growing Entrepreneur award is a reward for the efforts of all our people who have built with artistry, persistence and vision, a group of companies with an international footprint that enjoys the trust of 68 countries around the world. In THEON, for more than three decades we have been designing, developing, producing and co-producing high-tech products, engaging Greek engineers, "the gold of Greece". It takes, multilateral knowledge, experience, methodical and disciplined planning, ingenuity and flexibility, to be able to work industrially with different partners, in different countries, all over the world. There is need for ethics and values, because what an entrepreneur takes from society, he/she should give it back, so as to preserve the right balance between creating and respecting the values of our society", commented Christian Hadjiminas, Founder and CEO of THEON.